Chimney Rock National Monument
The Chimney Rock National Monument is an American national monument in the San Juan National Forest in Archuleta County in southwest Colorado . It was designated by President Barack Obama by a Presidential Proclamation on September 21, 2012 with an area of 4726 acres (1913 ha ). The National Monument was designated because of the archaeological sites.
Administration and land ownership of the National Monument
It is under the administration of the United States Forest Service (USFS). The sanctuary was part of the San Juan National Forest before and after it was designated. The entire area is federally owned and was looked after by the USFS even before it was designated. Previous uses may continue to be exercised unhindered.
People in the area
There are more than 150 archaeological sites known to the Pueblo culture in the reserve. The Anasazi built a pueblo with 200 rooms here 2000 years ago . In the pueblo there were several round ceremonial rooms known as kiva and a total of 36 underground rooms. The site is known as the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area . In 1970 the area of the pueblo was protected as a National Register of Historic Places . The pueblo was inhabited from 925 to 1125 AD.
Animal species
Mule deer , elk , puma, and North American otter are among the mammal species in the area . The protected area provides an important migration corridor for animal species. There are birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon , bald eagle and golden eagle .
Peregrine falcon on Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock is famous for the peregrine falcons that breed there . In 1975 there were seven breeding pairs in the entire Rocky Mountains area of Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming when populations in North America collapsed due to DDT use . The couple at Chimney Rock were researched from 1975 to 1978 by biologist Marcy Cottrell Houle on behalf of the United States Forest Service. In 1991, Houle published her book Wings for My Flight: The Peregrine Falcons of Chimney Rock about this time . This book was a bestseller, won two awards, and was updated in 1999 and reprinted in 2014. The professor of history and the environment Andrew Gulliford wrote in 2014 about the effect of Houle's work on peregrine falcon protection on rocks from 1975 to 1978: “Without a doubt, peregrines saved Chimney Rock for the rest of us.” (“Without a doubt, the peregrine falcons have the Chimney Rock for saved the rest of us. ”) Houle's work prevented a million dollar construction project by the Chimney Rock community . Peregrine falcons still breed on the rock today. However, the peregrine falcons mostly breed on the less spectacular Companion Rock right next to Chimney Rock .
Web links
- United States Forest Service : Chimney Rock National Monument (official site )
- Chimney Rock Interpretive Association: Chimney Rock National Monument (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Presidential Proclamation - Chimney Rock National Monument
- ↑ A renewed look at our Colo. peregrines The Durango Herald dated March 10, 2014
- ^ Marcy Cottrell Houle: Wings for My Flight: The Peregrine Falcons of Chimney Rock . University of New Mexico Press, 201, p. 40
Coordinates: 37 ° 11 ′ 24 ″ N , 107 ° 18 ′ 0 ″ W.